More and more best-in-class medical cannabis stores across California are opening to all adults 21 and older this February as the statewide rollout of commercial legalization continues. But it’s impossible to top Buds & Roses among this week’s new arrivals.

Almost 250 retail outlets have received a temporary state license to conduct adult-use sales, and new ones are being added almost daily. Among them, several new outlets in San Francisco and Los Angeles area have gone recreational.

For those new to cannabis, check out Mission Organics’ 1:1 CBD:THC strain CBD OG. But otherwise, don’t bargain hunt for low-cost excellence at Mission Organics, which is listing some eight-ounces as high as $64 before taxes. Some grams are going for $23 before tax. That’s the top of the charts. We’re also not seeing any potency testing numbers on any of Mission Organics’ online menu, which is problematic.

The Cookie Co 415 has its own issues, starting with their broken web site menu. You’ll have a better experience down the street at The Green Cross.

Canto Diem is one of the state’s oldest providers and they sport really affordable $35 and $45 eight-ounces of top strains Bruce Wayne, Diablo OG, Black Jack, and Sherbet.

Over at Buds & Roses, you can pick up some of the most sought-after designer strains on the planet. Their menu includes Dosido, Vegan Platinum Cookies, WiFi OG, Lemon Tangie, Biscotti, and Kosher Kush; plus Dosist pens, Kikoko teas, and the most elite seeds in the world from Aficionado, Dying Breed, and Rare Dankness. Bring a fat wad of cash, or be prepared to make some tough choices at checkout.

Platinum Cookies | GreenState file photo

Buds & Roses is among the few providers in the L.A. basin with a state license to sell to all adults. Los Angeles’s legal cannabis rollout has been mired in local political football, after two decades of regulatory neglect. About 50 shops are now open to adults in the L.A. area with another dozen open in the San Fernando Valley — that for an area with more than five million people.

We’re still not seeing any adult-use clubs open on the South Coast, including Santa Barbara. And thousands of square miles in the Central Valley are also a no man’ land for legal cannabis; the exception being the dusty city of Modesto, which has allowed a few shops.

California has had medical cannabis since 1996, but only moved to regulate the multi-billion trade at the state level in 2015. In 2016, California voters approved Proposition 64, which legalized cannabis for all adults 21 and older — with dual, state and local licensing required for all operators.

The state’s Bureau of Cannabis Control began issuing licenses to shops with local approval in Dec. 2017. Today, the BCC has issued over 2,500 licenses to operators from across the supply chain. Medical dispensaries need local approval before they can get a state license, but very few cities and counties are issuing them.